Monday, June 04, 2007

DreamStripper Cabaret Review

DreamStripper Cabaret, developed and published by Ensign Games.The Good: Meaningful upgrades including four anatomically correct dancers, eleven outfits, and more control over the ambianceThe Not So Good: Automated mode changes outfits randomly without your consent, clothing still magically disappears instead of being removedWhat say you? An improved version of the original with a multitude of new and additional features: 6/8

MY POORLY WRITTEN INTRODUCTIONIt’s been two years since the original DreamStripper was released, and it was one of the first games I reviewed for this site (ah, the memories). DreamStripper was (and still is) probably the best stripping simulation available, but, as with most things, there was room for improvement. Looking at the same dancer wearing the same outfits grew tiresome after a while (well, as tiresome as looking at naked women can get), and there was a lack of detail in the genital area (you know that’s the first place people zoom in on). So along comes DreamStripper Cabaret, an expanded version of the original game that adds features requested from users of the original. Does DreamStripper Cabaret have enough features to warrant another purchase, or is it just another retread of a previously released product?

GRAPHICS AND SOUNDOne of the more important aspects of a game such as this is the graphics, and DreamStripper Cabaret continues the strong tradition laid down by the original DreamStripper. The four models present in the game are very detailed and they look good either zoomed out or all up in their business. There have been some enhancements made since the original game, namely in the vagina. Yes, folks, the models in DreamStripper Cabaret now feature a detailed genital area for you to stare at for disturbingly long periods of time. It adds to the overall realism of the models in the game, and there isn’t anything to complain about in the game now in terms of graphics. Adding in anti-aliasing makes the models very real looking and almost creepy (in a good way) as they maintain eye contact while doing their moves. The sound is also improved from the original, as a new soundtrack is present along with the ability to import your own songs and playlists. The dancers also have their own voices this time around if you’re into that sort of thing. Both the graphics and the sound have gotten meaningful enhancements in DreamStripper Cabaret.

ET AL.DreamStripper Cabaret has streamlined the gameplay (or whatever you want to call it) from DreamStripper. The developers have removed the pointless Game Mode (where you used money to entice strippers to remove items of clothing) and stuck to giving the user direct control over many aspects of the simulation. You’ll start out by picking one of the four models in the game; each represents a different race, although the light-skinned ones look very similar. You’ll choose her hair style along with her starting outfit. There are ten outfits to choose from: school girl, nurse, maid, cheerleader, and swim suit just to name a few. Some of these were in the Pro version of DreamStripper, but they are new to me. You can mix and match (or remove) the components of each ensemble. Of course, you can just get down to business and start out completely nude.

Once you enter the game, the user interface is greatly improved. Picking the 22 moves in manual dance mode is very easy, as they are all listed along the left hand side of the screen; you can queue them up like actions in The Sims. If you’d like, you can have the model dance for you automatically, although you can’t control the outfit coverage in this mode and the model seems to switch clothing at random. Speaking of switching clothing, DreamStripper Cabaret still has magically disappearing clothing instead of it being stripped (this is a stripper simulation, after all). This is really the only low point of the game, as the amount of control over the environment has been greatly increased. You can control the amount of oil (eww), the spotlight color and ambient light, and the camera. You can also change the passage of time: slowing down the action results in a very sexy demonstration, while speeding it up looks like your dancer is having a seizure. The result of all these options is a very nice simulation with spectacular models, smooth animations, great background music, and enough options to keep your busy for a while.

IN CLOSINGDreamStripper Cabaret is a very complete game and it’s everything you could ever want in a stripper simulation. The models are fantastic and finally entirely anatomically correct, and there is a good variety in the model types and their clothing that removes the monotony present in the original game. DreamStripper Cabaret cuts to the chase, giving the user complete control over the game or choosing to have the game automate the action (keeping your hands free to…work on…financial reports). There are only two very minor issues with the game (random clothing during automated modes and the lack of an actual removal of clothing), but both of these things are so unimportant in the long run. Much like Bus Driver, DreamStripper Cabaret isn't for everyone, but it's the best game in the genre. If you’ve been looking for a disturbingly realistic stripping game, this is the one to choose.